10 Most Laughable Movie Accents of All Time

Admittedly, mastering an accent in a few short months is a difficult task, and one that should be lauded for those who succeed. But, in many cases, the outcome is pretty brutal, resulting in the bastardization of not only the character, but the entire movie. For whatever reason, some reputable actors either don't even try, or just aren't the best at their craft despite their reputations. The following who's who of Hollywood stars have appeared in numerous hits, including some with which they'd be better off disassociating themselves.

1. Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (1961)

   If you grew up watching Mary Poppins, then you probably have a very distorted view of how a British accent should sound. And because of Bert's terrible cockney accent, Brits have a distorted view of how Americans depict their accent. Van Dyke, when appearing on The Late Show in 2010, explained that he was given an Irish voice coach, thus giving him an Irish accent.

2. Sean Connery in Untouchables (1987)

   The movie experts at Empire magazine named Connery's accent in Untouchables the worst ever despite the fact that he won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance. Regardless of his character and where that character hails from, his thick Scottish accent is always present in his films — but, because he has Hollywood credibility, it only makes him more endearing.

3. Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

   A bad accent — if you even call it an accent — is made even worse when the offender's fellow cast members have authentic accents. In this case, it's apparent that Costner didn't really care, possibly because he was too busy trying to find out who was responsible for JFK's assassination.

4. Tom Cruise in Far and Away (1992)

   It's possible that Cruise decided to forgo an accent altogether in Valkyrie because of the way he was panned for his supposed Irish accent in Far and Away, in which he played an Irish immigrant in search of a better life in Oklahoma. His then-wife, Nicole Kidman, who costarred in the film, could've given him a few pointers.

5. Keanu Reeves in Little Buddha (1993)

   Reeves has been in some entertaining movies — there's little question about that. But he hasn't exactly been known for his ability to transform into a wide range of characters. He's done a terrible job as an Englishman in Bram Stoker's Dracula and as Buddha in Little Buddha, a film in which, for whatever reason, an Indian actor wasn't used for the part of an Indian prince.

6. Nic Cage in Con Air (1996)

   Con Air is a favorite of every red-blooded American males not only because of the action, but because of Cage's hilarious backwoods accent. Any "serious" scene in the film is negated when he speaks, which may not be such a bad thing — you've got to relieve the tension somehow.

7. Drew Barrymore in Ever After (1998)

   Set in France, Ever After features a poorly English-accented Drew Barrymore essentially playing the role of Cinderella. Fortunately, Prince Charming overlooks her bizarre dialect and, of course, they live happily ever after.

8. James Van Der Beek in Varsity Blues (1999)

   Exaggerated and overemphasized Southern accents are common in Hollywood flicks, and Varsity Blues, which accurately depicts Southerners' unadulterated passion for football, is a prime example. James Van Der Beek was the flavor of the moment in 1999, so casting him in a film targeting a teen audience was brilliant. Now, we have clips such as the one below by which to remember it.

9. Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain (2003)

   Zellweger may actually have Van Der Beek beat with her Southern accent in Cold Mountain, and her performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. You wouldn't know she's from Texas by watching the movie — at least Van Der Beek is from Connecticut, so he has an excuse.

10. Angelina Jolie in Alexander (2004)

    Let's face it, nobody was paying attention to Angelina's lines in Alexander, as nobody really cares if she speaks or not in her films. She's that attractive. But, we'd be remiss not to point out her terrible Greek-ish something-or-another accent, which was pretty par for the course in the film. Oliver Stone's recent distaste for quality is mindboggling.

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